Printing telegraph apparatus



Feb. 7, 1939. A. H. REIBER PRINTING TELEGRAPH APPARATUS Filed May 6, 1937 INI YENTOR,

ALBERT R'EIBER BY M ATTORNEY.

Patented F eb. 7, 1939 UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE PRINTING TELEGRAPH APPARATUS l\\ Albert H. Reiber; Evanston. Ill., assigner to Teletype Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application May 6, 1937, Serial No. 141,039

10 Claims.

The present invention relates to printing telegraph apparatus and particularly to type wheel printers for recording characters in page form.

The principal object of the invention is the arrangement and design of elements of a type wheel page printer for attaining maximum visibility and readibility of the printed record.

The apparatus to which the present invention is applicable is provided with a selecting means on the type wheel shaft for selectively positioning the type wheel angularly to position the character to be printed opposite a printing hammer. The type wheel consists of a circular disc, having equally spaced radial slots, thus forming a series of radiating reeds, upon which the letters and figures are arranged in a single row. Cooperating with the type wheel is a cylindrical platen which is not only movable to effect character spacing and rotatable for line feeding, but is also further controlled by carriage return mechanism. Visible printing is attained by withdrawing the type wheel from the platen, after printing, a substantial distance sufllcient to 'preclude obstruction of vision.

The functions, of which-printing is one with which the present disclosure is particularly concerned, are performed by levers actuated from cams on a vertically disposed main shaft, after being conditioned for operation by the selector mechanism. Likewise, the movement of the type wheel for the purpose of increased visibility is performed from the main shaft. Ink is supplied to the character faces on the type wheel byv means of an inking roller, but it is, of course, understood that ribbon feed and ribbon reversing mechanisms can readily be applied.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, with certain parts removed, of the apparatus embodying the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View, with parts broken away, of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

45 Referring to the drawing wherein like reference characters indicate the same part throughout the several views, there is shown in Fig. 1 a base portion II upon which is mounted a main supporting frame indicated generally by the numeral I2. Frame I I carries the main shaft assembly, auxiliary or type wheel shaft, selector mechanism and platen carriage indicated generally by the numerals I3, I4, I5, and I6 respectively. For a detailed description of the specific apparatus herein shown, reference may be had to copending application Serial No. 141,042, filed May 6, 1937, by H. L. Krum. Accordingly, only so much of the apparatus will be described as will be conducive to a ready understanding of the present invention.

The shaft 2I of a motor (not shown) is secured to a worm pinion 22, which meshes with a worm gear 23 afllxed to the lower extremity of a vertically disposed main operating shaft 24 mounted in bearings 25 and 26. Carried on shaft 24 is a sleeve member 21 on which are carried a spacing cam 28, a transfer cam 29, and a printing cam 3|. A toothed or grab clutch, indicated generally as 32, is also carried on shaft 24 and is superposed above sleeve 21, and comprises a driving portion 33 fixed to the shaft 24, and a driven portion 34 articulated by tongue and groove connection to the sleeve member 21. Driven portion 34 is normally urged upwardly by a coil spring 35, which movement is resisted by arm 36 of a release bail 31 pivotally carried on a bracket affixed to the printer frame I2. Arm 36 cooperates with 4a cam portion 38 integral with the driven po'rtion 34 of the clutch 32. As the release bail is rocked in a manner presently described, the arm 3 thereof will be actuated outwardly (counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 1) out of engagement with cam portion 38, whereupon spring 35 will urge the driven portion 34 of clutch 32 upwardly into mesh with the driving portion 33 which is constantly rotating. Then, after a single revolution has been completed, arm 38, which has been returned to its position against clutch portion 34 by a spring 4I (Fig. 1) will, due to the coaction between arm 36 and the cam portion 38, cause the camming out or disengagement of portion 34 from portion 33, thus limiting the rotation of clutch 32 to a single revolution. Shaft 34 extends above bearing 25 and carries thereon a selector cam drum 42 and related elements. Disposed between the cam drum 42 and the bracket 26 and affixed to shaft 24 is a gear 43 (Fig. 1) which meshes with a gear 44 frictionally carried on an auxiliary shaft 45.

`Cam drum 42 is frictionally driven by shaft 24 through the instrumentality of friction clutch means and comprises a part of a selector mechanism such as is described and shown in United States Patent No. 1,745,633 granted to S. Morton et al. As indicated in said patent, cam drum 42 will rotate with shaft 24 except when it is arrested by a signal controlled stop means consisting of a stop arm integral with the cam drum 42 and a cooperating stop gate (not here shown, but described and illustrated in said patent). Selector cam drum 42 is provided with a helically arranged series of cam projections 46, which, as set forth in said patent, act under the control of a single selector magnet to set successively corresponding series of bell crank levers and selector members (not here shown, but analogous to levers I1 and members I2 respectively, ofv said patent), which, in turn, control the setting of a corresponding series of T-levers (similar to T-levers 31 of said patent). Each of the T-levers 31 of said patent is shown controlling an individual code bar 38. In

like manner, in the present embodiment a series of code bars 41 is controlled permutably by similar T-levers (not shown) to control, in turn, the selection of one of a plurality of selector drop bars, or abutment members 48, in a manner disclosed in the aforementioned copendng application.

The ends 48 of drop bars 48 provide abutments for a series of stop arms 5| helically arranged around and affixed to a cylinder 52. Incidentally, each of the bars 48 has a vertically extending guide lug 53 which cooperates with a guide comb (not shown). Stop arms 5| terminate in a pair of stepped shoulders 54 and 55, one or the other of which strikes the abutment 49 of a selected drop bar 48. As set forth in the copending application, the top code bar of the series of code bars 41 has its wards or projections only about one-half as high as the wards of the three intermediate code bars, so that, as compared with said intermediate code bars, the top code bar may in effect be deemed to have notches of two different depths, one depth functioning to permit a predetermined entrance of the selected drop bar 48 therein to coact with the stop arms 5| in a certain manner; for example, with shoulders 55, and the deeper notches permitting a further movement of the selected drop bars 48 to cause their coaction with the stop arms in a different manner; for example, with the shoulders 54. As indicated in the copending application, there is associated with each drop bar 48, a companion drop bar which is controlled by the bottom code bar 41 for increasing the selective possibilities of the selector mechanism.

The shoulders 54 and 55 on each of the helically arranged arms 5| are so positioned angularly as to correspond with the angular positions of the type faces on a type wheel 56 so that when one of the selector drop bars 48 or its companion drop bar is moved into the path of rotation of shoulders 54 and/or 55, the cylinder 52 will be permitted to rotate in a counterclockwise direction until one of the stop arms 5| is arrested by the selected drop bar 48 or its companion drop bar. In this manner, a character on the type wheel is brought into printing position.

As previously described, there is mounted on the main shaft 24 a sleeve 21 which carries, among other cams, a transfer cam 29 which, through a lever 51 (and other linkage not here shown but fully described in said copending application), causes the operation of a bail which, at a predetermined instant during the cycle of operation, lifts the drop bars 48 and their companion bars out of engagement with the series of code bars 41 to permit a new selection to be set up in said code bars 41 in accordance with the reception of a succeeding code combination of impulses, after which the bail acts reversely to bring the drop bars 48 again into operative relationship with code bars 41, whereupon a new drop bar 48 will be selected, causing its abutting/end 48 to be presented into the path of its associated stop arm 5|.

Aiflxed to the cylinder 52 is a star wheel 58,

the teeth or points of which have a definite relation with the stop arms 5|, and hence with the angular positions of the type faces upon the type wheel 56. Cooperating with the teeth on the star wheel 58 is an intercepting lever 59 controlled by the transfer bail. Thus, when the transfer bail is effective during the performance of the transfer operation to rock the selector members or drop bars 48 out of the path of stop arms 5|, the cylinder 52 will not rotate or spin freely because of the fact that intercepting lever 59 has been brought into the path of the oncoming tooth of the star wheel 58. Then when the transfer bail is returned to its unoperated position, intercepting lever 59 is withdrawn from engagement with the tooth on the star wheel 58, whereupon star wheel 58 and the cylinder 52 are free to rotate until one of the stop arms 5| is arrested by tra impingement of one of the shoulders 54 or 55 thereon against the end 49 of the selected drop bar 48 to thus bring, as previously indicated, a type face on the type wheel 56 into printing position.

Printing cam 3| cooperates with a follower roller 6| carried on one arm of a printing control lever 62 pivotally mounted on a vertical shaft 63. The lever 62, as shown in Fig. 1, is normally spring biased in a counterclockwise direction by a spring 64 to thus hold the follower roller 6| against the periphery of cam 3|. Lever 62 is pivotally articulated to the forked end of a link 65 so as to have slidable interconnection therewith. The other end of link 65 is pivoted to a printing arm 66 pivotally mounted at 61 upon a bracket 6'8 integral with the printer frame l2. Distended between printing arm 68 and frame |2 is a printing spring 69. Printing arm 66 terminates at its upper end with a striking surface 1| which acts upon the type wheel 56 to effect printing.

The type Wheel 56 consists of a circular disc, having cut around the circumference thereof equally spaced radial slots 12 thus forming a series of radiating reeds 13 upon which the letters and figures are arranged in a single row. Adjacent the striking surface 1| is a V-shaped knife edge 14, which, as printing is effected, projects into a notch 15 in a peripherally notched corrector disc 16, to properly align and hold the type wheel in printing position in well-known manner. Printing arm 66 is provided, between the link 65 and the end 1|, with a hook portion 11 which engages a flange 18 associated with the type wheel 56. Type wheel 56 is also provided with a stub shaft 19 which fits into the counterbored end of auxiliary shaft 45. The counterbored end of shaft 45 is provided with an open ended slot 8| which engages a pin 82 integral with shaft 19. In this manner, type wheel 56 is slidably or telescopically articulated to shaft 45 and by means of the inter-engagement of hook 11 and flange 18, printing arm 66 is positively actuated, through link 65, by printing lever 62 to impart, in turn, movement to type wheel 56 after printing, the purpose of which is to permit visibility of a character immediately after it is printed. To achieve this result, type wheel 56 is withdrawn from the printing platen 83 a substantial distance by means of the inter-engagement of hook 11 and ange 18. Ink is supplied to the type wheel by an inking roller 8D carried on the end of a resilient supporting bracket 90 which is secured to the frame I2. This arrangement permits the inking roller to have contact with the type wheel 56 at all times during its reciprocative movement in the printing cycle.

Auxiliary shaft 45 is journaled in a bushing 84 carried in a bracket on the printer frame. Shaft 45 is also similarly journaled in bracket 86. A constant torque is applied to shaft 45 through friction means 81 associated with the constantly rotating gear 44, which meshes with gear 43 affixed to the vertical main shaft 24. The frictional connection between gear 44 and shaft audace 9| and 93 are normally biased attrahently by a spring 94 coiled about shaft 45. Interponent 92 is integral with a sleeve slidably and rotatably carried on shaft 45 to effectuate the shift and unshift functions presently to be described.

Upon the initiation of the printing operation, the cam 3| is rotated when the clutch arm 36 is released from shoulder 38 as previously mentioned. The rotation of cam 3| will cause lever 62 to be rocked sharply in a clockwise direction (as viewed in Fig. l) against the action of its spring 64 whereupon printing spring 69 will become effective independently of lever 62 to perform the printing operation; that is, spring 69 will impart to printing lever 66 sudden clockwise motion to effectuate the printing function. However, the first portion of the movement of the printing arm 66 is employed, through the instrumentality of hook 11 and flange 18, to bring the type wheel Within printing range of the platen 83, whereafter the further movement of printing arm 66 by spring 69 is utilized to present the end 1| thereof against a reed 13 of the type wheel 56, thus bringing the type face thereon against the record material disposed in front of the platen 83. Cam 3| thereafter permits the printing lever 62 to rotate counterclockwise under the action of spring 64, to effect positive leftward movement Ato link 65 to bring printing arm 66 to its counterclockwise position, and stretching spring 69, thereby storing energy therein. At the same time, through hook 11 and flange 18, type Wheel 56 is withdrawn from the platen a substantial distance to permit visibility of the character last printed. To permit proper adjustment between printing arm 66 and link 65, printing arm 66 is provided with an enlarged hole to receive the clamping nut 96, `and to compensate for this means of adjustment, link 65 is provided with an open ended slot 91 adapted to engage a guide pin 98 mounted on` printing arm 66. W,

Platen 83 is carried on a carriage Vor frame indicated generally\ by the numeral IDI. The platen carriage |0| is slidably mounted upon the frame I2 of the printer through the medium of ball bearings |02 and |03. As fully described in the copending application, platen carriage |0| is actuated by character spacing and carriage return mechanism controlled by the cam 28 mounted on the main operating shaft 24.

During the performance of certain functions wherein it is desired to suppress the printing operation, a lever |04 is presented into the path of a lug or projection |05 integral with link 65 so that when the printing spring 69 tends to operate the printing arm, it is prevented from so doing by the blocking action of lever |04 upon link 65, thus suppressing the printing operation.

To perform the shift and unshift operations, one or the other of the latch members |06 or |01 is brought, under the control of the selector mechanism, into operative relation with the ends of arms |08 and |09, respectively, pivoted to a shift control lever pivotally mounted at ||2 to the printer frame i2. Upon receipt of an unshift code combination, the particular selector bar 48 will be actuated to control through link H8, the latch |81 to bring its laterally disposed end into cooperative relation with the end of lever arm |09, whereafter upon the ensuing rocking movement of a lever ||3 (to which latch members |06 and |01 are pivoted) in a clockwise direction imparted to it by cam 28 through cam follower roller ||4, the latch |01vwill be actuated rearwardly and in so doing will pick up the lever |09, which will thereby also be actuated rearwardly to impart counterclockwise rotation to the shift control lever This movement of lever will cause, through a stud 5 carried thereon, th-e sleeve 95 to be shifted leftwardly whereby the vertical arm 92 will act upon cam surfaces on arms 9| and 93 to spread said arms, thus changing the angular relationship between thc stop arms 5| of cylinder 52 and the characters on the type wheel 56 to print thereafter unshift or lower case characters, until a shift code combination is subsequently received.

When the-shift code combination is received, the particular drop bar 48, which controls the shift function, is selected to actuate, through link 0, latch |06 to present its laterally disposed end into cooperative relationship with arm |08 whereupon, upon the ensuing rocking movement of lever 3, the arm |06 will be reciprocated; and upon the rearward movement in its reciprocating cycle, arm |06 will pick up the lever arm |08 to impart therethrough clockwise rotation to shift control lever I, which, through stud ||5, will shift the sleeve 95 rightwardly to retract arm 92 from the cam surfaces on arms 9| and 93, whereupon spring 94 will draw the arms 9| and 93 together, thus bringing stop arms 5| and the characters on the type wheel 56 into that relation whereby shift or upper case characters will thereafter be printed. Simultaneously, with the performance of the shift and unshift functions, the lever arm |04 is presented into the path of lug |05 of link 65 to effect the suppression of the printing operation as previously described. The position of the shift mechanism,

as shown in the drawing, is such as to effect the printing of upper case characters.

Operation A description of the cycle of operations involved in the printing of a character will now be described.

As the signal impulses representing a character are applied to the selector magnet (not shown) in a manner set forth in U. S. Patent No. 1,745,633, the selector cam barrel 42 is released for operation and the selecting elements, which control the setting of the series of code bars 41, are selectively positioned in accordance with the received impulses. About the time that the last of the impulses of the character code signal has been received, the clutch throw-out lever 36 is tripped by operation of lever ||6 of release bail 31 by'the cam projection ||1 of the cam drum 42, and the clutch 32 becomes engaged whereby rotation is imparted to cams 28, 29; and 3|, Almost immediately after thecams begin to rotate, cam 29, through lever 51 and other suitable linkage operates the transfer bail whereby the character code combination is permitted to be transferred to the series of code bars 41. Incidentally, While the transfer bail is operated to raise the drop bars out of engagement with the code bar I1, thereupon lifting ends 49 out of abutting relationship with the stop arms 5|, the cylinder 52 is prevented from spinning freely by the presentation of lever 59 into the path of the oncoming tooth of star wheel 58. Then, when the transfer bail has completed its operation, lever 56 is withdrawn from engagement with the star wheel 5l to permit the rotation of cylinder 52 until one of the shoulders 54 or 55 of stop arm 5| abuis the end 48 of the newly selected drop bar Il. Immediately after the type wheel 56 has been stopped under the control of cylinder 52, the printing cam 3l acts upon cam follower roller 6I to rotate lever 62 clockwise, which permits the printing spring 69 to actuate the printing arm 66 clockwise;

As previously mentioned, type wheel 56 is so spaced from the platen 83 as to provide visibility of the printed record at the printing point. Therefore. the first portion of the clockwise movement of printing arm 66 is utilized (through hook 'I1 and flange 16) to bring the type wheel I6 within printing range of the platen, whereafter the remainder of the operative stroke of the printer lever 66 is employed in effecting (through end 1I) the printing operation. During the completion of the cycle of rotation of printing cam 3|. spring 64 is permitted to rotate lever 62 in a counterclockwise direction sufficiently to actuate link 65 leftwardly and therethrough to rotate printing lever 66 counterclockwise to stretch printing spring 69 to store energy therein for a succeeding printing operation, and to withdraw the type wheel 56 from the platen 83 a sufllcient distance to permit visibility or readibility Vof the character last printed.

Although the invention disclosed may be embodied in other specific forms than that described herein, it is intended that the scope of the invention be indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description.

What is claimed is: n

1. In a printing telegraph receiver, a rotatable type wheel provided with a plurality of characters, permutation code selector means for selecting a character to be printed, printing means, and telescopic means cooperating with said printing means and said type wheel to provide visibility of the record as it is made.

2. In a recorder, a rotatable shaft, arms having a plurality of abutting surfaces positioned on said shaft. a type wheel slidably and rotationally carried on said shaft, a permutation code selector mechanism cooperable with said surfaces to determine the stop position of said type wheel, printing means) and means cooperating with said printing means and effective through the slidable relationship between said shaft and said type wheel to provide visibility of the record as it is made.

3. In a printing telegraph receiver, a rotatable type wheel provided with a plurality of characters, a member having a series of arms less in number than the number of characters on said type wheel for controlling the rotation thereof, stop means cooperable with said arms for controlling said member, a permutation code selectormechanism for controlling said stop means, printing means, and telescopic meansv cooperating with said printing means and said type wheel to provide visibility of the record as it is made.

4. In a printing telegraph receiver, a rotatable type wheel provided with a plurality of characters, a member having a series of arms less in number than the number of characters on said type wheel for controlling the rotation thereof, said type wheel adapted to be slidably and rotationally related to said member, stop means cooperable with said arms for controlling said member, a selector mechanism for controlling said stop means, printing means, and telescopic means cooperating with said printing means and effective through the slidable relationship between said member and said type Wheel to provide visibility of the record as it is made.

5. In a recorder, a rotatable shaft, a type wheel slidably and rotationally related to said shaft, selecting means cooperable with said shaft to determine the character printing position of said type Wheel, printing means, and means cooperating with said printing means and effective through the slidable relationship between said shaft and said type wheel to provide visibility o the character last printed.

6. In a printing telegraph receiver, a shaft constantly tending to rotate, arms having a plurality of abutting surfaces arranged around said shaft, a selector mechanism comprising selectable abutment members cooperable with said surfaces to determine the stop position of said shaft, a type wheel slidably and rotationally related to said shaft, printing means, and means cooperating with said printing means and effective through the slidable relationship between said` shaft and said type wheel to provide visibility of the character last printed.

7. In a printing telegraph receiver, a. rotatable type wheel provided with a plurality of'characters, permutation code selector means for selecting a character to be printed, all mechanical printing means, and telescopic means cooperating with said printing means and said type wheel to provide visibility of the character last printed.

8. In a recorder, a rotatable shaft, a member carrying a type wheel, telescopic interconnection between said shaft and said member, selecting means cooperable with said shaft to determine the character printing position of said type wheel, printing means, and means cooperating with said printing means and effective through said telescopic interconnection to provide visibility of the character last printed.

9. In a recorder, a rotatable shaft, a type carrying member, telescopic interconnection between said shaft and said member, selecting means cooperable with said shaft to determine the character printing position of said member, printing means, and means cooperating with said printing means and effective through said telescopic interconnection to provide visibility of the character last printed.

10. In a recorder, a rotatable shaft, a'. recording member, telescopic interconnection between said shaft and said member, selecting means cooperable with said shaft to determine the recording position of said member, printing means, and means cooperating with said printing means and eifective through said telescopic interconnection to provide visibility of the record as it is made.

ALBERT H, REIBER. 

